With the long hair, vintage shirts, velvet jackets
over ties, and plastic-rimmed glasses, Soft Targets sure looks like an
indie-pop band. At times, it can sound like one, too. But taken in its
entirety, Heavy Rainbow suggests that the group might not really have its heart in pop
music. True, on some tracks, it's convincing enough: With catchy little riffs
and Jesse Corry's achingly high-pitched crooning, "The World Looks Bigger Now"
and "So Long, Baby Burns" kick up enough tempo to induce a little head-bobbing,
and "Sirens" (the album's best track) puts a slickly cool thump behind its
pulsing keyboards. But overall, Heavy Rainbow has a lethargy that drags
otherwise atmospheric, drifting songs down into the fringes of soft rock.
Lazily meandering guitars, with jazzy touches here and there, detract from the
more likeable upbeat offerings; given Corry's vocals and the '80s-esque
whitewashing, too many tracks sound like David Bowie moonlighting as a lounge
singer. Soft Targets puts up a persuasive guise of indie pop, but there's a
conspicuous lack of passion for it.